Former Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly, Senator Ita Enang has lost his battle for the governorship ticket of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Akwa Ibom State.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Thursday evening upheld the primary election which produced Akanimo Udofia as the flagbearer of the party.
A Federal High Court judgment in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital, which was delivered in favour of Enang was voided and set aside.
The judge, Agatha Okeke had on November 14 last year ordered the APC to conduct a fresh governorship primary within two weeks and barred Udofia from participating in the new primary.
However, the Court of Appeal in its decision delivered by Justice Mohammed Idris held that the Federal High Court acted without jurisdiction when it nullified the APC primary election.
The appellate court in a unanimous decision held that the primary election being an internal affair of the APC ought not to have been adjudicated upon by the High Court.
Consequently, the appeal filed by APC was allowed for being meritorious while the arguments of Enang were dismissed for being unmeritorious.
Other justices on the Appeal Court panel are Elfreda Williams – Dawodu who presided and Danlami Senchi.
